Natural gas: inventories, prices both higher

Natural gas inventories were up last week, adding 42 billion cubic feet to a total of 2.97 trillon cubic feet to sit at 12 percent above the 5-year average for this time of year.

Even with the gain, however, the price of natural gas on the New York Mercantile Exchange added 5 cents on the session to $5.64 per million British thermal units.

Meanwhile, crude oil prices were lower, with West Texas Intermediate crude for October delivery 15 cents lower to $73.36 per barrel on Nymex and Brent crude October contracts down 24 cents to $71.89 per barrel.

Nymex December gasoline traded even at $1.91 per gallon, and October heating oil dropped 1 cent to $2.05 per gallon.

At-the-pump gasoline prices in the United States were higher overnight in anticipation of the Labor Day holiday, the last three-day weekend of the year and the unofficial end of the summer driving season.